Senior administration officials said that the proposal is one of several options under discussion with high-level Egyptian officials around Mr Mubarak, though not him directly, in an effort to convince him to step down now.

The officials cautioned that the outcome depended on several factors, not least of all the mood of the protesters on the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities and the dynamics within the Egyptian government. Some officials said there was not yet any indication that either Mr Suleiman or the military were willing to abandon Mr Mubarak.

1.05am GMT: The US is working on a deal with the Egyptian government for Mubarak to resign immediately in favour of a three-man junta, according to the New York Times in a news item just posted:

The Obama administration is discussing with Egyptian officials a proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, turning over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military, administration officials and Arab diplomats said Thursday.

Even though Mr Mubarak has balked, so far, at leaving now, officials from both governments are continuing talks about a plan in which, Mr Suleiman, backed by Sami Enan, chief of the Egyptian armed forces, and Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, the Defense Minister, would immediately begin a process of constitutional reform.

It confirms that Gamal Mubarak is still in Cairo – he was in the room with his father during the interview – which explodes dozens of reports that Gamal had fled to London.

12.21am GMT: George Soros has an opinion piece on the US and Egypt in the Washington Post:

I am, as a general rule, wary of revolutions. But in the case of Egypt, I see a good chance of success. As a committed advocate of democracy and open society, I cannot help but share in the enthusiasm that is sweeping across the Middle East. I hope President Obama will expeditiously support the people of Egypt. My foundations are prepared to contribute what they can.

12.15am GMT: The Washington Post is reporting that all four of its staff who had been detained earlier in the day have now been released.

Three Al Jazeera journalists remain in detention while another is listed as missing.

Palkot was covering the protests in Tahrir Square when he was confronted by several pro- and anti-government groups. In the middle of the chaos, Palkot said that 30 protesters, with the help of an Egyptian military officer, fended off a large crowd and allowed Palkot and his cameraman to slip away an alley and take refuge in a small hotel.

12 midnight GMT: The New York Times reports on the front page headline of the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram on Thursday:

Millions turn out to support Mubarak

11.43pm GMT: CNN shows footage of graffiti in the centre of Cairo. Spray-painted in large letters on a building is a single word: Twitter.

11.28pm GMT: Catching up with the latest comments from the US state department. Anticipating Friday's planned protests, spokesman PJ Crowley said:

"We are bracing for a significant increase in the number of demonstrators on the streets and with that, given yesterday's events, the real prospects of a confrontation."

Crowley also said that elements close to the government or Mubarak's ruling party appear to have been responsible for the recent outbreaks of violence. "I don't know that we have a sense of how far up the chain it went," he said.

11.19pm GMT: Vice president Joe Biden becomes the latest member of the US government to phone his counterpart in Egypt.

Biden spoke to Egyptian vice president Omar Suleiman and told him the Egyptian government is responsible for ensuring that the protests do not lead to violence.

He also said journalists and human rights advocates should be allowed to conduct their work and urged the immediate release of those who have been detained.

11.13pm GMT: Syria's regime seems to be taking no chances of catching the "Tunisian disease", based on this report from Human Rights Watch and Reuters:

Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that Syrian authorities failed to intervene as 15 people who tried to hold a candle vigil in support of the Egyptian revolution were beaten in Old Damascus.

The New York based group quoted activists as saying that 20 men dressed in civilian clothes beat and dispersed 15 demonstrators, including rights defender Suhair Atassi, who assembled in front of a police station in the Thomas Gate district on Wednesday.

11.08pm GMT: Following CNN's cutting its coverage from Cairo, even al-Jazeera has also had to stop its live footage of Tahrir Square.

the Aljazeera live shot of Tahrir Sq had to be pulled as it was putting our lives at risk. Will be back up as soon as its safe to do soless than a minute ago via webDan Nolannolanjazeera

11.03pm GMT: Wolf Blitzer is on CNN, explaining that the channel has had limited coverage of Egypt today because of the attacks on journalists: "This has made it impossible for us to show live pictures."

CNN's Anderson Cooper – attacked yesterday in the street near Tahrir Square – today had his car attacked and its windows smashed.

10.31pm GMT: Reuters has posted a fascinating series of comments from Egyptians in Cairo on the violence that has engulfed the city after days of protests, showing mixed views on the country's future:

Ragab Abdel Hamid Mansour, 48, boat owner on banks of Nile

"The protests have brought my work to a standstill. My work depends on tourists, and there aren't any tourists coming anymore. Everyone is afraid. I want those protests to end now and even not tomorrow. I can't live. I can't even find a loaf of bread."

Amira Hassan, 55, teacher

"I can't carry on with my ordinary life. I can't even go to my dentist because his clinic is downtown. I want this to end so that I can go to work. It makes no difference to me now whether Mubarak stays or leaves. I just want to see security back on the streets so that I can go on with my life."

Gamal Guemeih, 27-year-old financial analyst

"People are feeling more insecure than ever. Over the years, we have taken our safety and security for granted. Vigilantes are doing a great job, but this is not sustainable."

Ahmed Naguib, 48, doctor

"I can't work anymore. Last night, one of my patients was in labour, and I couldn't reach her at all. For how long will this go on?"

Sayed Ibrahim, 41, state employee

"My work has been closed since the protests broke out. I did not take part in any of the protests, but they are affecting my life. Tahrir Square is in the heart of Cairo, and it connects the entire city with each other, and that's why the protests make it difficult for anyone to move."

Mohyi Mahmoud, 57, shop owner

"My shop is my life, and it's my only source of income. It's been closed for a week now, and even if I open it, no one will come and shop under those circumstances."

Mohamed Abdel Razeq, 38, state employee

"I want Egypt's stability back, and that's why I want Hosni Mubarak to stay. He gave us stability."

Hisham Akram, 40, investment banker

"When Mubarak delivered his last speech, a lot of people were satisfied, but after I lived through the horror in Tahrir square yesterday, if I had a single iota of trust in the system, it's disappeared. We've been stabbed in the back. The thugs they unleashed on us in Tahrir Square were hardened criminals. I want Mubarak out now, his continuation in office is jeopardising the lives of Egyptians."

Raga Mahmoud, 35, marketing executive

"I saw a lot of reports all over, and many of the people that are saying 'enough protests' are not pro Mubarak. They just want security and life back. That is what I'm supporting because it's only for a few months. And I don't trust that if Mubarak leaves. the Muslim Brotherhood won't try to take over. We need time to elect someone like Amr Moussa [the head of the Arab League]. If Mubarak leaves now, which some say he could do tomorrow, then who knows what will happen."

"The Muslim Brotherhood are making interviews left and right ... I'm worried about the Islamist movement happening now in Tunisia that was once more liberal than Egypt and their leader is supporting the Brothers in Egypt. Mubarak only has a couple of months left and I too want him to leave with some pride not when the international government say he must go."

"We are attempting to name all of the brave Egyptians who have been killed during the peaceful fight for freedom," the organisers write. And the details are telling, including this entry for a man named Ahmed Ahab Mostafa:

Shot on Friday 28 Jan, died 3 Feb at Al Azhar University hospital in Hussein. Hospital refuses to give the body to his family unless they sign a statement that he died in a car accident.

10.14pm GMT: More on the protests spreading to Yemen, where tens of thousands of protesters staged unprecedented demonstrations, with chants of "Down, down, down with the regime" and signs calling on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign.

The Associated Press reports from Yemen:

In the capital of Sanaa, several thousand government supporters staged a counterdemonstration, carrying banners warning that the opposition is trying to destabilize Yemen. Military helicopters hovered in some areas, and there was a heavy security presence around the Interior Ministry and the Central Bank.

The marches were largely peaceful, although witnesses said police opened fire in one provincial town, critically wounding a protester. In the capital, scuffles and stone-throwing briefly erupted between government supporters and opposition marchers, but police stepped in and there were no reports of injuries.

10.03pm GMT: NBC's Richard Engel reports that many journalists have been forced to remain undercover today, making it more difficult for cable news channels to cover the protests in Egypt without cameras and reporters out on the street.

Engel says there are more protesters in Tahrir Square tonight, barricading themselves in to offer protection after last night's attacks by "goon squads". Metal shields have been put up around the square, now "turned into a military camp," according to Engel.

The protesters on Tahrir Square have also set up an "interrogation centre" in the subway under the square, Engel reports.

9.54pm GMT: More on the raid on the Hisham Mubarak law centre in Cairo, mentioned below. Among those taken away by members of the police and army is Human Rights Watch researcher Daniel Williams.

"Human Rights Watch is currently unaware of the whereabouts of those who were detained," the organisation said in a statement, adding:

Williams's detention is part of a clear campaign against independent eyewitnesses of the violence in Egypt, including journalists and civil society activists. Human Rights Watch condemned the crackdown and called on the Egyptian government to release those detained immediately.

9.41pm GMT: Egyptian state television, in between showing footage of trees and flowers, has a brief report of the country's prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, telling the interior ministry "not to obstruct peaceful marches on Friday".

9.30pm GMT: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has called the treatment of journalists "completely and totally unacceptable" during a briefing onboard Air Force One, which is flying President Obama back from Pennsylvania:

I want to say a word for a second on the systematic targeting of journalists in Egypt. This also is completely and totally unacceptable. Any journalist that has been detained should be released immediately.

I think we need to be clear that the world is watching the actions that are taking place right now in Egypt. And I'll reiterate again that the actions of targeting journalists, that is unacceptable, and that those journalists should be, if they are detained, released immediately. I know the President has been briefed on this as part of the daily briefing this morning.

I apologize to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt. I've dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humor regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate.

Kenneth Cole, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer

9.11pm GMT: The US military is starting to get more involved, with the Pentagon announcing that officials are gathering details on the attacks on journalists in Egypt. It held back from censuring the hands-off stance of the Egyptian armed forces.

"To date, we have seen them act professionally and with restraint. Again, it's a very fluid situation so we are watching every single day," said Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan.

9.05pm GMT: Official reaction in Washington is now coming more stridently, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemning the attacks on protesters and saying that Mubarak's government should immediately begin talks towards political transition:

"I urge the government and a broad and credible representation of Egypt's opposition, civil society and political factions to begin immediately serious negotiations on a peaceful and orderly transition."

Without directly blaming Mubarak's regime, Clinton said: "It is especially in times of crisis that governments must demonstrate their adherence to these universal values."

9pm GMT: The deliberate targeting of al-Jazeera and its journalists is highlighted by the tweets from Dan Nolan, a journalist for al-Jazeera English now in Cairo:

Got stranded in Tahrir Square last nite & had to sleep the night. Pretty terrifying night, protestors gave shelter as they defended all nite

Got back to hotel today but its now far too dangerous as Jazeera journos r being hunted down. Shifted to "safer" hotel now but situ not great

2 AJE journos went missing for 6hrs today- now been found altho beaten up. Jazeera won't stop reporting story but re-assessing safety for us

the faces of the guys defending square last nite are images I'll never forget. Freedom really is a struggle people, don't ever forget that!!

my life was pretty much in hands of those protestors defending the square last nite. If pro-Mubarak thugs found me inside, well u know...

8.45pm GMT: ABC News have posted video of Christiane Amanpour discussing her interview with Hosni Mubarak at the Presidential Palace in Cairo. No footage of the interview itself yet.

Some senior members of the US Congress are calling for a halt in foreign aid to Egypt as a way to hasten President Hosni Mubarak's exit from power amid continuing protests against his three-decade rule.

Senator Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the panel that controls foreign aid, said he's prepared to stop all U.S. financial assistance to Egypt – which topped $1.5 billion last year – unless Mubarak steps aside immediately and allows a transitional government to take over.

"If he doesn't leave, there will not be foreign aid; I mean, it's as simple as that," Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, told Bloomberg Television in an interview yesterday. US money "will not go to the Mubarak administration," Leahy said, adding, "that's a pipeline that can easily be turned off."

8.23pm GMT: Here's the tweet from fashion house Kenneth Cole that is currently making the rounds of the internet. It's real:

And of course it has now spawned parody Twitter accounts and a hashtag – #KennethColeTweets – for such hilarious follow-ups as: "Chase down Anderson Cooper in style with our new lightweight canvas loafers!"

8.03pm GMT: Ahdaf Soueif emails from Cairo:

A good friend just saw 8 to 12 people being dragged out of No 1 Souq el-Tawfikiyyah St and bundled into a civilian micro-bus while a military police vehicle waited nearby. The people were being beaten and the street had been told they were "Iranian and Hamas agents come to destabilise Egypt" so the street was chanting against them.

No 1 Souq el-Tawfikiyyah St is the home of the offices of The Hisham Mubarak Legal Aid Centre, The Centre for Social and Economic Rights and The 6th April Youth.

The offices of two Egyptian human rights organisations in Cairo supported by Oxfam in Cairo have been attacked today and several staff members arrested by the Military Police.

The offices of Hisham Mubarak Law Center and the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights were raided at 14:30 and eight people were arrested including both directors, Ahmed Seif, director of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center and Khaled Ali, director of the Center for Economic and Social Rights.

They have been taken to an unknown location in Cairo.

Catherine Essoyan, Oxfam Regional Manager for the Middle East and Maghreb:

"We are extremely worried about the fate of these human rights defenders who have been providing critical legal aid and support to their people over the past days of protest. We deplore this assault against Egyptian civil society organisations dedicated to promoting respect for the rule of law. We call for the safe and immediate release of those detained."

"I told Obama: 'you don't understand the Egyptian culture and what would happen if I step down now'."

That won't go down well in the White House, since it contradicts the Obama administration's insistence that Obama laid down the law to Mubarak. Instead – if Mubarak is to be believed – there was some push back from the Egyptian president which for some reason the White House has kept to itself.

I've just left the presidential palace in Cairo where I met for about 30 minutes with president Mubarak. He told me that he is troubled by the violence we have seen in Tahrir Square over the last few days but that his government is not responsible for it. Instead, he blamed the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned political party here in Egypt.

He said he's fed up with being president and would like to leave office now, but cannot, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos.

"I am fed up. After 62 years in public service I have had enough. I want to go."

"I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other."

"I never intended to run again, I never intended Gamal to be President after me"

"I don't care what people say about me. Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt."

7.34pm GMT: The State Department spokesman PJ Crowley has just held a televisied briefing, again condemning the attacks on journalists. "It could well be in anticipation of events tomorrow," Crowley said, in reference to the mass protests planned for Friday.

7.29pm GMT: Mubarak breaks his personal media silence and grants an interview to Christiane Amanpour of ABC news, who tweets:

7.20pm GMT: Here's the latest from the Guardian's Jack Shenker on the ground in Cairo:

A group of reporters from Daily News Egypt, an independent English-language paper, was among those targeted today but pro-Mubarak thugs on the streets. Having ventured out of their offices to investigate a story about rising petrol prices, they were set upon by a group of passers-by in the middle-class neighbourhood of Dokki, west of the Nile, that quickly swelled into a fifty-strong crowd.

"It was terrifying," said Amira Ahmed, the publication's business editor who was caught up in the attack. "They were chanting 'we've found the foreigners, don't let them go' and calling us traitors and spies. When I pointed out to them that I was Egyptian they responded 'your Egypt isn't the same as ours' and began yelling and screaming."

Like many who were caught up in similar incidents today, Ahmed said the most chilling part of the encounter was the mob mentality that quickly took hold over those around them. "We had one French journalist with us who we managed to put in a taxi and get to safety. But by now this wasn't enough; the people who were showing up had no idea why we were the targets but they just took up the cry of 'foreigners' and 'journalists' and joined in with the abuse; there was no leader we could appeal to for reason."

Ahmed and her companions eventually agreed to be handed over to the army as 'infiltrators' to avoid provoking any more violence; on the way to the military checkpoint they were followed by men on motorbikes and one youth who clung to the trunk of their cab. The army took custody of them and eventually released them without harm. "I've never felt unsafe in Egypt before; I always felt that if anything ever happened to me on the street here, other Egyptians would come in to protect me," said Ahmed.

"But today was different and it was horrible. There was no logic to any of it; people are divided and people are raging, and they're casting out for targets to direct that rage against."

7.10pm GMT: This is Richard Adams in the Guardian's Washington DC bureau, where we'll be continuing the live blog. With US journalists among the scores being rounded by Cairo, Egypt remains in biggest news story in the US.

We've compiled a list of all the journalist who have been in some way threatened, attacked or detained while reporting in Egypt. When you put it all into one list, it is a rather large number in such a short period of time.

We are very excited, we are very tired, we've been here for a week...if we can get the some political masss that we had on Tuesday in particular then we are confident we will be able to force a change.

6.34pm: Opposition protesters in Syria, where Bashar al-Assad rules over a regime far stricter than in Egypt, are planning protests for tomorrrow. Most observers, however, think his security apparatus will crush any dissent ruthlessly. There are signs tonight that pro-government forces are being mobilised. Stephen Starr, a freelance journalist based in Damascus, says on Twitter: "State-owned cars honking through the streets of Damascus waving flags in support of the government."

6.32pm: A couple of interesting items pointed out by people in the comments section.

Mubarak will, without doubt, follow the Chinese example, my contact said. By that, he said, he meant that after a few days of watching the demonstrators do their stuff, the clampdown comes. Ringleaders are rounded up and an air of menace is spread. Chinese connections with Egypt are extensive but, as my contact put it, "they wouldn't need a phone call explaining how it works, they've swallowed the book."

The tunnels under the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt, used in the past to smuggle arms and supplies from Sinai into Gaza, are now an important lifeline of supplies for Sinai residents facing acute shortages because of the turmoil in Egypt, the Lebanese daily Al Akhbar reported Thursday. According to the paper, which supports Hizbullah, traders in control of the tunnels have "been working for days" smuggling bread and food in the "opposite direction" - from Gaza into Egypt – because of "supply disruptions" from Cairo to the Sinai.

Danger Room has learned that Amal Sharaf, one of the core members of the April 6 Youth, is among those arrested. Security officials detained the activists Thursday afternoon at Cairo's Husham Mubarak Law Center, an organization that provides legal assistance to detainees. Its director, Ahmed Sief (sometimes spelled Seif), was also taken into custody.An eyewitness, Mamdouh Hamza, described the detentions to Danger Room over the phone from Cairo. Hamza, a professor of civil engineering at Suez Canal University, was part of a crowd of at least 200 people on El Tawfikia #1 Street, right next to the Center. He saw a mini-bus arrive at the Center, and plain-clothes security officers entered the building. They arrested between eight and 12 people, he says. "They also are creating the rumor that the people arrested are from Hamas," Hamza says, "and that they have come to burn Cairo, so the people in the street–they were kicking them [the activists] and hitting them."

6.11pm: Here's an early evening summary:

• Violent clashes have broken out in Cairo again as pro-government supporters have continued their assault against protesters in Tahrir Square opposed to President Hosni Mubarak (see 9.17am). There has been gunfire but it is unclear who is shooting and whether all the gunfire is just warning shots (4.32pm).

• There have been a number of arrests and/or attacks on journalists reported – including those from al-Jazeera (see 2.41pm),the Daily News Egypt (see 12.20pm) and Channel 4 (5.30pm). The violence against journalists came after Egyptian state TV reported there were Israeli spies in Egypt. Some journalists have supposedly been rounded up for their own safety (see 12.37pm). US state department spokesman PJ Crowley said there was "a concerted campaign to intimidate international journalists" (see 1.35pm).

• The Egyptian vice-president, Omar Suleiman gave an interview in which he reached out to the January 25 movement and political opponents while at the same time saying the protesters had been manipulated by "outside forces" and "foreigners" (4.58pm).

• The army, criticised for standing by and watching yesterday's violence, has shown signs of intervening today, forming lines between the two sides and clearing some areas of Mubarak supporters (see 10.59am). However, there have also been accusations that the military is involved in a crackdown against pro-democracy protesters (see immediately below).

• There have been reports of police/army/military police stopping people getting into Tahrir Square and/or taking away food and medical supplies. Between eight and 12 people at the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre were arrested and beaten (see 1.13pm), eyewitnesses said. The activist blogger Sandmonkey was reportedly arrested and beaten (see 11.59am) but has now apparently escaped (3.42pm).

• The Egyptian prime minister Ahmed Shafiq apologised for the violence in Tahrir Square and said it would not be allowed to recur (see 1.53pm). He said the culprits would be found. Shafiq also said he could not say for certain whether the attacks were organised.

• Suleiman and Shafiq met opposition figures in Cairo today. The meeting was described as "cordial but inconsequential" by diplomats (4.38pm).

• Gamal Mubarak, the current president's son, is standing down from the ruling National Democratic party and will not stand in the presidential election (3.31pm).The Egyptian health ministry said 13 people have been killed and 1,200 injured since the outbreak of violence yesterday.

• Thousands of anti-government protesters have gathered in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, to take part in their own "day of rage" against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime (see 8.01am). His offer to step down in 2013 has not pacified the demonstrators.

• Algeria has promised to lift its 19-year-old state of emergency law. It followed pressure from government opponents amid protests in the Arab world.

5.52pm: The Guardian's Mona Mahmood has translated another summary into Arabic. We're working on how to format it correctly so that it aligns to the right, not the left.

We had arranged to interview a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood in his apartment, but the neighbours – sitting by the door on the street, snarled like guard dogs when we arrived. They didn't want foreigners inside their building, they said, and saw us off.

We retreated down the street to our car. A group of young men approached, armed with baseball bats, sticks and machetes. They were the neighbourhood Popular Committee.

For the past few days, these groups have been smiling and friendly to us but this lot started shouting and banging on the roof of our car. They demanded to see our passports.

I think I know why. Last night and today, Egyptian state TV had been broadcasting of Israeli spies disguised as western journalists roaming the country.

It's a wicked rumour to spread because it puts any westerner – or any Egyptian working with westerners – at risk of a beating or worse. It's cynical to say the least.

This government did a deal with Israel, but it still stirs up anti-Zionist feelings when it suits and that's one reason so many journalists have been attacked in Cairo today.

The Guardian has teamed up with Der Spiegel and Le Monde to bring reports on the shockwaves the events in Egypt are sending through the Middle East. This series of audio reports from Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan and Lebanon is the first pooled dispatch from the team of foreign correspondents, with more to come over the next few days.

And courtesy of my colleague Sam Jones here's a statement from Hilton about why security staff at the Ramses Hilton have been confiscating cameras from film crews staying there. Members of the international press have reported staff knocking on the doors of their rooms and demanding they hand over their equipment.

Due to the gravity, immediacy and dynamic nature of the situation in Cairo, our hotel is implementing additional measures to ensure the ongoing safety and security of our guests and employees, as this remains our highest priority. These measures include a request not to film from the property due to the threat this poses to the reporters themselves as well as others on property. We appreciate your understanding and support during these challenging circumstances.

Grievances? Here is the community organiser [Barack Obama] now using community organisational mentality for a nation of Egypt, which is flooded with the Muslim Brotherhood. This is astounding. We are listening to the biggest mistake in US diplomatic history. This fool. This pinheaded fool running this country either doesn't know his history or is on the side of radical Islam. There's no two ways about it.

Also in highly questionable taste is this tweet from Kenneth Cole, the clothing company, which I will quote in case it gets taken down: "Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo -KC."

(The company has since apologised, saying: Re Egypt tweet: we weren't intending to make light of a serious situation. We understand the sensitivity of this historic moment -KC.)

5.23pm: Suleiman criticised certain – unnamed – countries for "interfering in our domestic affairs" and warned this would have "a negative impact on our relations with them ... It's very surprising to hear them interfere in our affairs."

He added: "I blame certain friendly states who are hosting unfriendly TV stations who charge the youth against the state."

Suleiman ended his interview with these slightly toe-curling remarks:

I would say to the youth: we thank you for what you did; you were the spark that ignited reform in this time ... Do not succumb to the rumours and satellite TV stations raising you against your country.

5.08pm: "The presidential elections will be carried out in August or September," Suleiman said – September had previously been the only date mentioned.

"It will not go beyond that limit, during which [time] certain constitutional amendments will be carried out."

He added: "The youths were demanding for the dissolution of the people's assembly ... It means we would not be able to really examine or debate ... on the constitutional amendments ... September is a time limit which must be observed, otherwise we will have a constitutional vacuum."

He said two political parties had rejected dialogue, but the Muslim Brotherhood is "hesitant but not rejecting".

Having praised the January 25 movement Suleiman then described the people in Tahrir Square as "representatives of certain political parties, including foreigners".

He promised to hunt down the perpetrators of the violence, which he described as a "conspiracy".

He said the armed forces did not intervene because they were uncertain and not used to such intervention, but they would now be engaged in "implementing the curfew, and protecting civilians against thugs".

4.58pm: Suleiman blamed the violence on "some other opportunists carrying their own agenda. It might be related to outside forces or other domestic affairs". He said it was "a conspiracy".

Their next trick will be to say that the young people in Tahrir are "foreign" elements, that they have connections to "terrorism", that they've visited Afghanistan, that they want to destabilise Egypt. But by now the whole world knows that this regime lies as naturally as it breathes.

Suleiman said: "The object behind this was to create the maximum degree of instability, intimidation and defeat the people of Egypt," but he added: "The 25 January movement is not a destructive movement."

Of the army, he said: "Now the armed forces are changing their duties, hand in hand with the people, to protect the people."

He said Hosni Mubarak had discussed how the protesters' demands could be met:

President Mubarak, when he found out the demands expressed by the January 25 were lawful and objective, he discussed how these needs ... could be met ... He has responded to all the lawful demands. We could also have accepted other demands ... However the time limit is thin and tight.

4.49pm: Vice-president Omar Suleiman is on state TV. He has held out the prospect of the presidential election taking place in August (previously September has always been cited as the date it would be held) but holding it any earlier would leave a "constitutional vacuum".

He says the wishes of the January 25 movement are "acceptable" and blamed outside forces for trying to foster instability.

Photograph: BBC News

4.38pm: Ian Black, our Middle East editor, writes:

Omar Suleiman and Ahmed Shafiq, the newly appointed Egyptian vice-president and prime minister respectively, met opposition figures in Cairo today for a meeting that was described as "cordial but inconsequential" by diplomats.

The opening session of the "national dialogue" called for by Suleiman produced a "road map" and a timetable for political reform. It was agreed to form three committees to look at constitutional change, the economy and law and order, but no decisions of substance were taken.

Several opposition movements, including the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, did not attend the meeting, presumably because they firmly oppose dialogue with the government until Hosni Mubarak steps down.

But the feeling in the Egyptian capital today is that Suleiman and other leaders are now digging in behind the embattled president. "They are rattled and under pressure but there is no sign of them giving up in the face of the criticism from foreign capitals," one western official said. "There is a sense of disconnect."

4.34pm: British student Simon Hardy (see 3.53pm) travelled to Cairo out of solidarity with the protesters and to witness a historic event.

These shots rang out about 45 minutes ago and it seemed like two protesters were killed. I don't know who they were ... Some of us are out here from Britain; we wanted to come out and experience what is happening in Egypt. It is the Middle East's 1989. It is important that people can come out here and really see what's going on, because this is absolutely historic.

Hardy, who is a 29-year-old student of international relations and politics, said: "I am experiencing politics as it is," as more shots rang out.

It is not protest tourism, it is a basic act of solidarity. People are glad we are here. It is bit like the international brigades who went to Spain to fight Franco. I don't think those people were tourists.

Asked if he was concerned for his safety, he said: "A little bit, but I've been on demonstrations in Britain in the last few months, when riot police beating people up and acted in a terrorising way."

4.20pm: Protesters in Gaza have been showing their support for opponents of President Mubarak's regime, Reuters reports. Hamas, which rules the territory, had previously banned any gatherings in support of the Egyptian demonstrations, even though Hosni Mubarak is not an ally of the group.

4.13pm: More journalists have been subjected to heavy-handed treatment:

4.10pm: Reuters has compiled a round-up of international reaction to the situation in Egypt:

German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle:

I spoke to representatives of the opposition including [Mohamed] ElBaradei, and it's completely obvious that this is a matter for the political opinion makers in Egypt to decide for themselves who shapes the democratic transition and how. This requires beginning with a direct exchange of ideas, a peaceful dialogue, and we are counting on progress here today since otherwise I am afraid that - in view of Friday prayers tomorrow - there will be another escalation of the situation.

US president Barack Obama:

We pray that the violence in Egypt will end and that the rights and aspirations of the Egyptian people will be realised and that a better day will dawn over Egypt and throughout the world.

Michael Spindelegger, Austrian foreign minister:

I urge the Egyptian leadership not to let batons do the talking nor to block the media, but to be responsible and to deal with the demands of the demonstrators. The demonstrators and their valid demands cannot be silenced by violence. The political forces in the country must to everything to avoid a further escalation.

Greek prime minister George Papandreou:

Egyptian people want change, democratic rights, liberties. All these need to be established, also constitutionally. It is necessary that this transition to democracy, these changes take place with credibility, stability, that they happen quickly and without violence.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) spokeswoman Caroline Atkinson:

We just don't know yet how the economic situation will develop because it is not yet clear how the political situation will develop. There is an issue of who is in charge of what now.

EU foreign affairs chief Lady Ashton:

I urge the Egyptian authorities to immediately take the necessary measures to ensure that the law enforcement authorities protect the demonstrators and their right to assembly freely. I have made clear that it is the responsibility of the army and law enforcement to protect its citizens. Last night we were sending messages to the Egyptian authorities in phone calls and other messages, saying: "Look, you have to get the army in to protect the people, you have to make sure that we've got ambulances able to get in and out of the square."

Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain - joint statement:

We are observing a deterioration of the situation in Egypt with extreme concern. We condemn all those who use or encourage violence, which will only worsen Egypt's political crisis. Only a rapid and orderly transition towards a broadly representative government will allow Egypt to overcome the challenges that it is facing. This process of transition must start now.

4.00pm: Turi Munthe, the chief executive of international citizen journalism network Demotix, said one of its citizen journalists had been beaten:

Foreign journos – and anyone with laptop or camera – are now targets. One of our guys just got smashed up.

Sounds like even anti-Mubarak protesters have given up on foreign media and assume they're not helping the cause or have their own agenda. Four al-Arabiya reporters have been attacked, possibly because the Arabiya channel is universally seen as pro-Mubarak.

On the violence: "Before every demo, we were told that the anti-Mubarak protestors searched fellow protesters for weapons. That has now fallen apart because pro-Mubarak gang got through, and it's escalated."

3.59pm: An Amnesty International representative was among those arrested in the raid on Hisham Mubarak Law Centre (see 2.44pm).

Amnesty issued this statement:

An Amnesty International representative has been detained by police in Cairo after the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre was taken over by military police this morning.

Amnesty International USA called on President Obama to immediately demand the release of the Amnesty International staff members.

The Amnesty International member of staff was taken, along with Ahmed Seif Al Islam Khaled Ali, a delegate from Human Rights Watch, and others, to an unknown location in Cairo. Amnesty International does not know their current whereabouts.

"We call for the immediate and safe release of our colleagues and others with them who should be able to monitor the human rights situation in Egypt at this crucial time without fear of harassment or detention," said Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty International.

A number of other activists are still being held in the Centre, including a second Amnesty International member of staff.

3.55pm: There is a huge protest going on in Alexandria, which has not yet seen the violence that has been witnessed in the capital.

Photograph: Tarek Fawzy/AP

3.53pm: A British man, Simon Hardy, has called in to relay his experiences in Tahrir Square this afternoon. Phone us on +44 203 353 2959 if you are in Egypt and want to tell your story.

In the last few minutes some snipers on top of the Hilton roof opened fire, maybe seven or eight gunshots. The protesters are saying two people have been killed, one shot in the head and one in the neck.

There are growing numbers of pro-government protesters on Ramses Street and behind the barricades on our side, still thousands of people in the square.

People are saying: "Is there going to be another attack tonight?" Anti-government protesters are saying that if they survive tonight, the demonstration tomorrow will be massive. They are calling it departure day, the day Mubarak will be kicked out of office. Everything hinges on the next 24 hours.

3.50pm: The Egyptian health ministry has updated its toll of the number of casualties from the violence in Cairo over the past two days. It now says 13 people have been killed and 1,200 have been injured.

There are also reports a foreigner has been killed in Tahrir Square today:

We have heard from multiple witnesses that Leila Fadel, our Cairo bureau chief, and Linda Davidson, a photographer, were among two dozen journalists arrested this morning by the Egyptian interior ministry. We understand that they are safe but in custody and we have made urgent protests to Egyptian authorities in Cairo and Washington. We've advised the state department as well.

3.38pm: Pro-Mubarak supporters attempted to storm the Hilton hotel, where several foreign journalists are based, according to various Twitter updates:

• Violent clashes have broken out in Cairo again as pro-government supporters have continued their assault against protesters in Tahrir Square opposed to President Hosni Mubarak (see 9.17am). There has been more gunfire but it is unclear who is shooting and whether all the gunfire is just warning shots.

• There have been a number of arrests and/or attacks on journalists reported – including those from al-Jazeera (see 2.41pm) and the Daily News Egypt (see 12.20pm). The violence against journalists came after Egyptian state TV reported there were Israeli spies in Egypt. Some journalists have supposedly been rounded up for their own safety (see 12.37pm). US state department spokesman PJ Crowley said there was "a concerted campaign to intimidate international journalists" (see 1.35pm).

• The Egyptian vice-president, Omar Suleiman, is due to make a statement shortly. He has already told state TV that Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal will not stand in the September elections (see 2.33pm).

• The army, criticised for standing by and watching yesterday's violence, has shown signs of intervening today, forming lines between the two sides and clearing some areas of Mubarak supporters (see 10.59am). However, there have also been accusations that the military is involved in a crackdown against pro-democracy protesters (see immediately below).

• There have been reports of police/army/military police stopping people getting into Tahrir Square and/or taking away food and medical supplies. Between eight and 12 people at the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre were arrested and beaten (see 1.13pm), eyewitnesses said. The activist blogger Sandmonkey was reportedly arrested and beaten (see 11.59am) but has now apparently escaped.

• The Egyptian prime minister Ahmed Shafiq apologised for the violence in Tahrir Square and said it would not be allowed to recur (see 1.53pm). He said the culprits would be found. Shafiq also said he could not say for certain whether the attacks were organised.

• Five people have been killed and 836 injured since the start of yesterday's violence, the Egyptian health ministry has said (see 7.34am). A doctor said seven people had been shot dead, including one killed by a sniper in the early hours of this morning.

• Thousands of anti-government protesters have gathered in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, to take part in their own "day of rage" against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime (see 8.01am). His offer to step down in 2013 has not pacified the demonstrators.• Algeria has lifted its 19-year-old state of emergency law, according to al-Aribaya TV.

3.16pm: Sky News reports that Egyptian vice-president Omar Suleiman is about to make an "important announcement". That's all we know at this stage.

3.14pm: Jack Shenker has sent this photo by Sandro Contenta showing Egyptian ID cards taken from pro-Mubarak protesters indicating membership of the NDP, the ruling party.

3.06pm: "We are seeing live fire, we are seeing bullets ricocheting off the bridge," Peter Beaumont reports in another update on the battle for flyover.

The gunfire appears to have been directed at pro-Mubarak forces on the flyover, he said. "These are pro-Mubarak demonstrators who are trying to throw petrol bombs at the people below them," he said. "We can see someone being carried away who we think has been shot."

2.50pm: In the comments, hszmnedz sends this from her husband in Tahrir Square:

About 50,000-100,000 peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators are still in Tahrir Square, made up of all walks of life: popular rock singers, lawyers, engineers, youth, religious figures, university professors. There is unity between secular and religious, liberal and conservatives.

All are saying we are not anarchists, we are calling for democracy and the rule of law.

About 400 members of the foreign community in Cairo are participating with the peaceful demonstrators calling for freedom for Egypt, chanting "hurreya", which translates to "freedom". For their safety, we are not saying what they are wearing.

Thank you for every one of them.

A nearby mosque has been transformed to a makeshift hospital.

Army still not engaging.

2.44pm: The writer Ahdaf Soueif reports arrests at a law centre:

A good friend just saw eight to 12 people being dragged out of 1 Souq el-Tawfikiyyah Street and bundled into a civilian micro-bus while a military police vehicle waited nearby.

The people were being beaten and the street had been told they were "Iranian and Hamas agents come to destabilise Egypt" so the street was chanting against them.

Number 1 Souq el-Tawfikiyyah Street is the home of the offices of the Hisham Mubarak Legal Aid Centre, The Centre for Social and Economic Rights and The 6th April Youth.

Swedish TV has lost contact with correspondent Bert Sundström. He was on foot close to Marriot. Seems to be abducted.

2.33pm: My colleagues Peter Beaumont and Jack Shenker in Cairo send the following about the role of the army in Tahrir Square today:

They were barely visible at first, a glimmer of tan clothing among the ranks of pro-Mubarak fighters lined on a low overpass above the entrance to Tahrir Square. It was from here that rocks, petrol bombs and bullets had been raining down on the anti-regime opposition defending their barricades below.

At 9am first one, then a second, and then dozens of Egyptian army soldiers – the same military forces who had stood back and watched as last night's bloodshed unfolded – finally appeared at this key strategic flashpoint and began driving back those on the bridge. Before them lay a no man's land carpeted with broken bricks and burnt out vehicles that spoke of the extraordinary violence that had played out in the darkness. This was the morning after the night before.

It was the beginning of a day of to-and-fro street clashes in the densely-populated neighbourhoods surrounding the square, as anti-Mubarak protesters fought close-quarter battles to hold Tahrir and, in a hail of warning shots and automatic gunfire, the army sporadically attempted to establish buffer zones.

One thing was clear after a night of fighting that left over 1,000 injured and several dead from gunshot wounds. That is that despite the denials of Egypt's government and interior ministry who claimed these events were not state-orchestrated, all the evidence strongly suggested otherwise.

I'll post the link to the full version as soon as we have it.

2.33pm: Omar Suleiman has confirmed that Gamal Mubarak won't be running for president, according to Reuters citing State TV.

#Egypt vice-president says leader Hosni Mubarak's son will not run for president - State TV

2.32pm: The former minister of the interior, Habib al-Adly, is being questioned for his role in the unrest last Friday, al-Jazeera reports, citing state TV. The minister was responsible for ordering police off the streets, it was reported.

Other ministers in the former government are also being investigated. Their assets have been frozen and travel documents removed, the BBC tweets.

And here, from the comments, is protester marwaa, who has had difficulties getting into Tahrir Square today.

Today I am unable to go down to Tahrir to join my colleagues in this struggle because the NDP thugs who are supposedly "pro-Mubarak" supporters have blocked any entrances. I decided then, to communicate with my friends in Tahrir who are suffering and to keep their experiences posted. At the moment, the thugs have blocked any FOOD SUPPLIES, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, and even BLOOD DONATIONS to people in Tahrir. It has reached the point where they would capture the supplies, empty, and urinate on them on the pavement right in front of the people who need it. Now, all the people in Tahrir have been blocked from medical and food supplies and are very much insisting not to leave (at some points they are not even ALLOWED to leave). "We will stay till we starve if that's what it takes."

2.15pm: Pro-Mubarak forces are being pushed further and further back, Peter Beaumont reports from Cairo. He says forces loyal to the president haven't come out in the numbers that they did yesterday. Some of the groups are only a few hundred strong:

The army has been trying to put themselves in between them. Tanks are not the greatest crowd-control weapons. Tanks are driving in and swinging their turrets around, trying to intimidate people by waggling round the main gun. Occasionally we'll see groups of soldiers run down trying to break up a knot of people, or we will hear warning shots.

He [the prime minister] should be apologising for the violence. We have seen numerous identity cards taken from people captured by the opposition, identifying them as police.

Yes I am asking for the president to go, yes I am asking for changes to be made, and yes I will continue to go back there every day for the same cause but I will NOT accept that religious groups hijack what we have been doing for their own agenda. A large group of the ones organizing them yesterday were people in galabeyas and long beards shouting "Al Jihad fe Sabeel Allah (Jihad in the name of Allah), you have to continue fighting, we will win this war, if you die here today, you will be a martyr and go straight to heaven, don't stop, fight, fight, fight." NO! This is NOT why we were in the streets on Friday being tear gassed and dodging rubber bullets and it is not why we have been going to Tahrir everyday to be heard. The reason why this revolt went through and became successful was because it was not religiously or politically charged. Don't let the ones who have been watching this unfold in the shadows ride this wave and hijack what you have been fighting for.

They arrested my father & all brave human rights lawyers, called them spies for hamas & iran so the ppl would turn against them #Jan25

1.06pm: Both the Associated Press and al-Jazeera and the BBC are reporting gunshots in Tahrir Square and on the nearby Qasr al-Nil bridge. These are being confirmed by people on Twitter. It is not clear who is shooting or who they are shooting at. Hopefully, it is just the army shooting in the air to try to keep order, although even that is a sign of a deteriorating situation.

1.00pm:New video uploaded to YouTube appears to show anti-government protesters throwing stones at pro-Mubarak supporters. Towards the end some try to intervene to stop the fighting. Many of the protesters are using homemade shields.

12.40pm: The situation is very fluid, Jack Shenker reports from Cairo:

Key streets and entrance points keep changing hands. There are also urgent appeals going out for medical supplies, blankets and blood donations; people in a position to provide any of those things should monitor Twitter closely for advice on the best way to bring them in; also pick-up and delivery can be arranged.

12.38pm: My colleague Harriet Sherwood explains the difficulties of reporting on the protests in Alexandria.

The situation here in Alexandria is now very difficult for journalists. Egyptian national TV has been broadcasting that there are Israeli spies disguised as western journalists, and people on the street are very suspicious.

People who are prepared to speak to us are being denounced by fellow protesters. We have been surrounded several times this morning by angry crowds and have had to retreat.

In general the protests here appear to be diminishing and many people are alarmed by the scenes from Cairo that they have seen on TV. But there are also signs of more involvement by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Talking to people away from the protests, a very mixed picture emerges. A lot are saying that Mubarak's speech on Monday night has swung them towards giving reform a chance. Many speak of wanting security and stability and are very nervous about the volatility of the situation.

There are police on the streets of Alexandria for the first time since I got here 48 hours ago. But they seem to be focusing on directing traffic, and neighbourhood security is still very much in the hands of locals.

12.37pm: Journalists are being rounded up for their own safety, the Associated Press news agency suggests:

The Egyptian military has started rounding up journalists, possibly for their own protection, after they came under attack from supporters of President Hosni Mubarak who have been attacking anti-government protesters.

An Associated Press reporter saw a group of foreign journalists being detained by the military on a street near Tahrir Square, the scene of battles between supporters of Mubarak and protesters demanding he step down after nearly 30 years in power.

Foreign photographers reported a string of attacks on them this morning by Mubarak supporters near Tahrir Square. One Greek photographer was stabbed in the leg.

The thugs don't seem to be present in the same numbers [today]. The army are not taking any active measures. I'm keeping in touch with my family. They told me on the phone that the prime minister has apologised for the violence. I don't know what to make of it. There were rumours that the prime minister was going to resign. We don't know how close these rumours are to the truth. We think the president is directly responsible for what happened yesterday. This apology is a nice gesture, but if the prime minister really wants to show that he is on the side of the people he should resign. Mubarak must be held responsible for this. I hear some people say we will march to the presidential palace. I hope we do that.

12.30pm:Shahira Amin quit her job as a senior reporter at Nile TV yesterday and has been telling al-Jazeera why:

I can't be part of the propaganda machine; I am not going to feed the public lies ... They [Nile TV] are showing the Mubarak supporters, calling them 'the Egyptians'. that is what they are showing all day. They are not showing what's happening in Tahrir Square ... People are dying here, everything is distorted.

Amin added that she had received threats in the past for her insistence on broadcasting the "truth".

"I have had calls from state security. I have had people tell me this is the last time I do this or else."

My husband is back again in the square with the peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators.

He tells me that all entries to the square from the north and east are being manned by the pro-Mubarak thugs who are using violence to prevent more peaceful demonstrators from going into the square.

So far, safe entry to the square is from (a) Cornishe el Nil by the Arab League building, (b) Talaat Harb Street, and (c) Bab el Louk Street.

12.11pm: Our diplomatic editor Julian Borger has more on what Ban Ki-moon told journalists at a briefing in London.

What we have learned from the situation in Tunisia, Egyptian and Yemen is that world leaders should listen more attentively to the aspirations of their people ... There should be full reform in all the countries in the region, fully reflecting the wishes of the people.

In particular, Ban said: "President Mubarak should listen attentively to what his people are saying."

He suggested three underlying causes for the turmoil in the region: "The most productive generation, the young generation, has not been given much opportunity in the form of jobs. The skyrocketing prices of commodities, particularly food, are adding to the dissatisfaction of the general population. Then there is the democracy deficit. All these have been lacking in the region."

12.07pm: The counter-extremism thinktank Quilliam has said the west could restore its image in the Middle East if its leaders use their influence to force Mubarak to go now. Director Maajid Nawaz said:

To avert the risk of Egypt sliding into civil war as happened in Algeria in the 1990s, the West should pressure Mubarak to stand down immediately. Any delay risks discrediting moderate democratic reformists and empowering radicals in their places. This is also a once in a decade chance for the West to publicly support the Egyptian people and to thereby restore the image of the West in the Middle East.

Under the emergency powers provisions of the Telecoms Act, the Egyptian authorities can instruct the mobile networks of Mobinil, Etisalat and Vodafone to send messages to the people of Egypt. They have used this since the start of the protests. These messages are not scripted by any of the mobile network operators and we do not have the ability to respond to the authorities on their content.

Vodafone Group has protested to the authorities that the current situation regarding these messages is unacceptable. We have made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator.

12.04pm: Protester AmrSabry describes his hopes and fears in an email to our letters page:

I was one of those people you saw on the streets, last Tuesday, then on Friday, and then February 1. My last visit to Tahrir Square on February 1 was like a dream, the most beautiful dream I do not even have the ambition to see in my sleep.

After yesterday's very scary crackdown I am shocked to the bones. Mubarak has been enslaving the Egyptian people for the last 30 years, we are enslaved to the nightmarish hordes of the night, the security, the police, we are enslaved to his businessmen, to his thugs. I have seen a corridor leading to the light of day, I tasted freedom for one day, and it was like discovering a sixth sense.

Tonight the Egyptian people all will not sleep, fear is occupying their beds, a large monster, but the millions who has come out on February 1, can give you a definition to freedom, that I am sure you don't even know exists, you the people of the civilised world.

11.59am: SandMonkey, the high-profile Egyptian blogger, a key chronicler of the protests who we have quoted frequently, has been arrested according to this tweet from @RamyYaacoub:

I just called @SandMonkey's phone and a man answered and he asked me who I am, I said where is monkey, he said your cunt friend is arrested

11.52am: Here's a summary of events so far today:

• Violent clashes have broken out in Cairo again as pro-government supporters have continued their assault against protesters in Tahrir Square opposed to President Hosni Mubarak (see 9.17am).

• Five people have been killed and 836 injured since the start of yesterday's violence, the Egyptian health ministry has said (see 7.34am). A doctor said seven people have been shot dead, including one killed by a sniper in the early hours of this morning.

• The army, criticised for standing and watching yesterday's violence, has shown signs of intervening today, forming lines between the two sides and clearing some areas of Mubarak supporters (see 10.59am).

• Pro-democracy protesters say they have detained 120 people with IDs associating them with the police or the ruling NDP party (see 9.50am). Most were caught while attacking demonstrators.

• The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, came very close to calling for Mubarak to leave office immediately (see 10.35am), saying: "If there is a need for change, it should happen now," said Ban.

• Thousands of anti-government protesters have gathered in the Yemeni capital Sana'a to take part in their own "day of rage" against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime (see 8.01am). His offer to step down in 2013 has not pacified the demonstrators.

It is pretty tense. Every time I tried to speak to someone I was surrounded by a crowd asked if I was a spy for or a spy on behalf of America or Israel. We had to make a fairly hasty exit. So it is not a pleasant atmosphere, but we haven't seen violence on the scale of Cairo.

People are shocked by what has been happening in Cairo.

11.32am: Has anyone used the English-to-Arabic translate button for this page? One of my colleagues in the office, a fluent Arabic speaker, says it's not very accurate and was concerned that it devalued our reporting. We were thinking of removing it, but we'll keep it up if people think it's useful.

11.10am: The British telecommunications company Vodafone is being accused of sending out text messages urging pro-Mubarak supporters to "confront" protesters.

According to this Flickr gallery, put together by Sherief Farouk and Riham Nabil, this is what some of them said.

The Armed Forces asks Egypt's honest and loyal men to confront the traitors and criminals and protect our people and honor and our precious Egypt.

Youth of Egypt, beware rumors and listen to the sound of reason - Egypt is above all so preserve it.

To every mother-father-sister-brother, to every honest citizen preserve this country as the nation is forever.

The Armed Forces cares for your safety and well being and will not resort to using force against this great nation.

A spokesman for Vodafone said that the group was aware of the texts, but would not say how long it had known about them. He refused to comment further, saying that a statement was being prepared.

11.04am: An update on the protests in Yemen from Christoph Wilcke of Human Rights Watch.

On the eve of what the opposition promised would be the largest demonstration yet against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, security forces sealed off Liberation Square in San'a, the capital, erecting tents they claimed were for "mass weddings" the next day, a source in San'a told Human Rights Watch.

When demonstration organizers discovered armed men in the tents, they moved the protest to San'a university, where thousands protested peacefully on Thursday morning, a participant told Human Rights Watch.

He said it was the biggest protest yet, attended by international and local media, and took place without incident and in the absence of security forces. Security forces had briefly detained a number of members of opposition parties the night before who were distributing leaflets and putting up posters for the protest. Several days ago, security forces beat protesters and journalists who were expressing solidarity with Egyptian demonstrators in front of the Egyptian embassy in San'a.

10.59am: More confirmation that the army appears to be intervening today, from AP.

Egyptian army tanks and soldiers moved to end violence between anti-government protesters and supporters of President Mubarak in Cairo's central square today after standing by for nearly a day as the two sides battled with rocks, sticks, bottles and firebombs.

Hours after automatic gunfire hit the anti-government protest camp at Tahrir Square, killing at least three protesters, soldiers carrying rifles could be seen lining up between the two sides around 11am (9am GMT). Several hundred other soldiers were moving toward the front line.

Four tanks cleared a highway overpass from where Mubarak supporters had hurled rocks and firebombs onto the protesters.

10.47am: Journalists have been arrested this morning, according to recent Twitter updates.

10.40am: Nicholas Kristof, from the New York Times, talked to pro-Mubarak supporters before they threatened to break his camera.

To watch the video in full turn off auto refresh at the top of the page

10.35am: UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon gets even closer to calling for Mubarak to go now. He said:

President Mubarak's announcement that he will stay until the end of his term and will not run for re-election - I'm not sure that will satisfy the demands of his people. If there is a need for change, it should happen now."

The government authorities should ensure that peaceful demonstrations should be protected without any violence. We were concerned to see attacks on peaceful demonstrations.

I saw a guy with bullet wound to his head with his brain coming out of his forehead. It was the darkest night yet.

But he claimed Mubarak's tactics will not work

These people are not moving. We are a group of unorganised people from all walks of life and all religions and all ages. The strength of our convictions for a desire for social justice, and political justice is what has hold us together.

9.53am: The leaders of the British, French, German, Italian and Spanish governments have issued a statement calling for "quick and orderly transition to a broad-based government."

It just stops short of calling on Mubarak to resign.

Here's the statement:

We are watching with utmost concern the deteriorating situation in Egypt.

The Egyptian people must be able to exercise freely their right to peaceful assembly, and enjoy the full protection of the security forces.

Attacks against journalists are completely unacceptable.We condemn all those who use or encourage violence, which will only aggravate the political crisis in Egypt.

Only a quick and orderly transition to a broad-based government will make it possible to overcome the challenges Egypt is now facing. That transition process must start now.

Egypt's cabinet denied that it had a role in mobilising supporters of President Hosni Mubarak against anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square and said it would investigate those behind violence.

"To accuse the government of mobilising this is a real fiction. That would defeat our object of restoring the calm," cabinet spokesman Magdy Rady told Reuters."We were surprised with all these actions," he said.

Prime minister Ahmed Shafiq said the violence would be investigated, state television reported.

"The government will take the measures it can to identify who was behind this and try to deal with this," Rady said.

Rady also said that the army, sent to the streets on Friday after police lost control of protests, had not intervened because it could have been interpreted as taking sides.

"There is faction here and faction there, they (the army) cannot take a side. If they interfere in one side that will defeat their purpose. It would complicate matters more than helping it," Rady said.

Jack was describing the stand off between the pro and anti Mubarak supporters when another attack began, and the army did not intervene.

After about seven and half minutes he says:

People are starting to throw stones, lots of stones. This definitely started from the pro-Mubarak side. They have rushed into the no-man's land. The army are not intervening, in fact they are moving back. The pro-Mubarak side are pelting the anti-Mubarak protesters with rocks. The anti-Mubark supporters are throwing them back. Amazingly there is civilian in plain clothes, standing in the middle of no-man's land appealing for both sides to stop

.

8.40am: Those pro-Mubarak supporters were throwing stones at the crowds, according to this story filed by Peter Beaumont and Jack Shenker just before the army moved in.

The sound of gunfire continued to ring out across central Cairo this morning, as anti-Mubarak protesters held their ground against pro-government assaults.

Following a dramatic night of fighting on streets and rooftops around Tahrir square and the Egyptian museum, violence continued to rage well after dawn. Local news channels reported that four had been killed in the latest clashes, though doctors on the ground told the Guardian that the death toll was higher.

Eyewitnesses who spent the night in Tahrir said there were major shooting incidents at 11pm and 4am local time, the latter involving a sniper equipped with a laser sight. Seven protesters were reported to be confirmed dead at a nearby makeshift medical centre, with three other bodies still unrecovered.

"We had over a thousand injured through the night, including several dead from gunshots," said Dr Dr Ibrahim Fata, a professor of surgery and one of more than 70 doctors who have volunteered to help treat those injured at the square. "It's like a war situation in here; some of the pro-change resistance did not bring their wounded to us because they didn't want to leave their positions. I haven't slept in the last day and a half."

As Dr Fata was speaking the Guardian witnessed a man with a broken spine being brought in on a corrugated iron stretcher, whilst others walked around swaddled in bandages. Some protesters had taped cardboard boxes to their head to serve as a crude helmet.

The shootings came after protesters seeking an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade-long dictatorship were attacked yesterday by supporters of the Egyptian leader, many of whom were found to be carrying police IDs. Molotov cocktails were thrown from buildings and several fires burnt through the night.

By morning it was clear that the pro-change protesters had succeeded in repelling the assaults and holding Tahrir, their main rallying point throughout this ten-day uprising. At a barricade on Meret Basha street, approximately 50 metres from a flyover on Abdel Munim Riyad square, another aid station treated those wounded in the fighting.

About a thousand pro-Mubarak militants continued to mass on the flyover, throwing stones at the crowds below, though it was clear that they were increasingly outnumbered with up to four thousand anti-regime protesters inside the square and many more gathering as mid-morning approached.

Some sections of the roadway are so littered with debris and torn apart by those seeking rocks to throw that they are now impassable. But social organisation amongst the pro-change forces remains strong, with groups cooking breakfast over fires and handing out food amongst the crowds.

8.32am: A retired Egyptian general told the BBC that the troops stand ready to fire at pro-Mubarak supporters, if they attack protesters today.

This seems to confirm what Peter Beaumont has been seeing on the ground. The general claimed the army could turn on Mubarak as early as tomorrow.

About ten minutes we started seeing soldiers telling the pro-Mubarak demonstrators to leave the bridge [near the entrance to the square]. Within no more than six or seven minutes the entire bridge was cleared with only one warning shot fired...

I do think it is hopeful, every time we have seen the army intervene in this crisis it has led to a significant lessening of the tension. The problem is we don't know what the orders are. But they have intervened, and for now at least the battle of Tahrir is Square is over.

8.01am: Thousands of anti-government demonstrators have gather in Yemeni capital Sana'a to take part in a "day of rage" against the

They claim that President Ali Abdullah Saleh's offer to step down in 2013 was not enough.

If you are in Egypt, I am calling on all of you to head down to Tahrir today and Friday. It is imperative to show them that the battle for the soul of Egypt isn't over and done with. I am calling you to bring your friends, to bring medical supplies, to go and see what Mubarak's gurantees look like in real life. Egypt needs you. Be Heroes.

He had this to say about the violence:

You watched on TV as "Pro-Mubarak Protesters" – thugs who were paid money by NDP members by admission of High NDP officials- started attacking the peaceful unarmed protesters in Tahrir square.

They attacked them with sticks, threw stones at them, brought in men riding horses and camels- in what must be the most surreal scene ever shown on TV- and carrying whips to beat up the protesters. And then the Bullets started getting fired and Molotov cocktails started getting thrown at the Anti-Mubarak Protesters as the Army standing idly by, allowing it all to happen and not doing anything about it.

Dozens were killed, hundreds injured, and there was no help sent by ambulances. The Police never showed up to stop those attacking because the ones who were captured by the Anti-mubarak people had police ID's on them. They were the police and they were there to shoot and kill people and even tried to set the Egyptian Museum on Fire.

The Aim was clear: Use the clashes as pretext to ban such demonstrations under pretexts of concern for public safety and order, and to prevent disunity amongst the people of Egypt.

7.34am: If you're an Arabic speaker you may find this blog easier to follow using this (automatic) translation button.

ترجم هذه الصفحة إلى العربية

7.34am: The Egyptian health ministry says five people have been killed as the violence for the control of Cairo's Tahrir square continues.

"Most of the casualties were the result of stone throwing and attacks with metal rods and sticks. At dawn today there were gunshots. The real casualties taken to hospital were 836, of which 86 are still in hospital and there are five dead," health minister Ahmed Samih Farid told state television.

This morning shots were fired at the anti-government protest camp in Tahrir Square, but the protesters continue to occupy the area.

Graphic accounts of the violence continue to emerge, as questions are asked about why the army did not prevent the violence. Guardian video producer Mustafa Khalili was one of the hundreds of people injured in yesterday's clashes. He wrote:

I was bleeding heavily. People took me to a makeshift medical centre run by nurses who had obviously come straight from hospital to help, where they bandaged my head. They said I needed stitches, but there were so many other injured to look after.. There must have been more than 50 injuries, some of them horrific. I saw one guy whose left eye was bleeding, men with broken arms, broken teeth where they had just been hit in the face by rocks

There were no police, no security forces. The army was there, but was not intervening. The two sets of protesters were left to fight it out.

Anderson Cooper from CNN, two Associated Press correspondents and a Belgian reporter were all set upon as hundreds of young pro-government supporters attacked crowds demanding Mubarak's immediate resignation.

Mubarak was never quite a dictator in the Saddam Hussein or Robert Mugabe mould. His rule was more akin to the semi-enlightened despotism of an 18th-century European monarch. But at bottom, it always depended on coercion and force. Today, the pretence of reasonableness was torn away. His dark side showed for all to see.

Mubarak's speech to the nation on Tuesday night was widely misinterpreted. The president was, by turns, angry, defiant and unrepentant. He offered no apologies, proposed no new initiatives, gave no promise that his son Gamal would not succeed him, and instead lectured Egyptians on the importance of order and stability (which he alone could assure).

As he tries to reassert his primacy, Mubarak can rely on the conservative Arab states of the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Algeria, and on any number of African governments that have no wish to encourage popular revolution. Even old enemy Iran is privately ambivalent on this score.

He can offer negotiations to the opposition and hope to gain advantage from their refusal, so far, to participate. And if all this fails, the regime can always let loose its thugs and hooligans, just to emphasise that without state-imposed order, only chaos, not democracy, reigns.